TN: Toasting my USA friends on the 4th with ESJ Shell & Bone

Edmunds St Johns Shell and Bone Paso Robles Red 2003
13.8% alc. Cork Closure.

This wine was a gift from a visitor from USA (Frank M or John F) and today, being July 4th, is the perfect time to open it.

A fading garnet red in colour, the aroma is smoky and savoury with an earthy depth - some richness of cherry shining through too - if we had been drinking this blind, the colour and the aroma would probably make me decide it was Pinot Noir. The nose is intriguing - vinous - dense - even a little floral - then some chocolate - lots of satisfaction from the bouquet alone - the mellow bottle age character adding additional complexity - and later strawberries too.
Smooth on entry to palate - and despite what the aromas try to infer, it is unlike any Pinot Noir I've tasted before - that's because it is a Pinot Noir free zone. This is made from Mourverdre, Grenache, Syrah and Counoise. It's fruit sweet and slightly nutty to the taste with a deep earthy, savoury vinosity. Rose hips, dried herbs and black liquorice add to the aesthetics and underlying acidity imparts brightness to the long and very dry finish. The evaluation is over and a big mouthful brings out the chocolate, vanilla, cherry, peppery spice and florals in spades and the moderate touch of cedary oak is mellow. A complex wine - it gets richer and richer with time and the pleasing and sensuous aftertaste lasts for ages.

Hamburgers (kiwi style) was the food of choice to accompany the wine. It was either that or ribs, but the burgers got the nod when the butcher had no ribs to be found. A gift worth saving to open when the time was right. That was tonight. Thank you my American friends.

Cheers,
Sue

[David M. Bueker]

Yummy stuff. Thanks for the insight Sue. I'll have to open one soon.

Despite my love of the Syrahs that Steve makes, I think I actually prefer his blends. Every year there's this interesting and different melange of the Rhone varieties that always works well with food (even young) and is easy on the wallet.

Despite my love of the Syrahs that Steve makes, I think I actually prefer his blends..

That might be his Southern Rhone Heart.

I am prone to prefer the syrahs just because of my personal drinking preferences but his blends always made the case that blends are also a great style of wine.

Thanks for the tasting note Sue, and for remembering us on this special day.

I don't think I have any of the Shell and Bones, but that is about the only ESJ wine that I don't have, including a bottle or two of his zinfandel. I just might have to open one of the zins for dinner tonight which will probably be had on the deck since it will be hotdogs, potato salad (my style), and some (not too) sweet baked beans. I need to consider soon whether I will do the beans from scratch or from can and doctor them up to fit my wishes. I suspect the latter will win out. Both the hotdogs and the beans will be done on Hot Mama.

BTW, I googled Kiwi style hamburgers and found the link below and wondered if it was authentic. I suspect that someday soon I will have to check it out. It's likely that I will do the yam.sweet potato fries as well.

http://www.culinarycompetitor.com/meals ... tyle-fries

Thanks for thinking of us, MG Babe. Do you put beet root on your burgers in NZ?

Sue; such lovely notes. And I'm thrilled to know that a bottle of my wine made it all the way to New Zealand, and was enjoyed! (In case anyone is interested, I still have a few dozen cases of the '03 that can be had.)
Now I've got to get busy with cooking for the Independence Day gathering we're invited to a bit later today.

BTW, I googled Kiwi style hamburgers and found the link below and wondered if it was authentic. I suspect that someday soon I will have to check it out. It's likely that I will do the yam.sweet potato fries as well.

Bob, That's a 'Big Mama' burger for sure. You could buy gourmet burgers like that at some of the burger bars in the days before McDonalds sprung up on almost every corner. The burger with everything - although carrot would most definitely be grated. Probably can buy like them like this still in some small towns where the triple M arches are absent.
What they call yam is, I suspect, we call kumara. What we call yams here would not make fries.

Thanks for thinking of us, MG Babe. Do you put beet root on your burgers in NZ?

We do normally, Dave, but not this time. These were simple - just meat pattie, lettuce, tomato, grated cheese, mayo on lettuce side of bun and tomato sauce on the other.

Sue; such lovely notes. And I'm thrilled to know that a bottle of my wine made it all the way to New Zealand, and was enjoyed! (In case anyone is interested, I still have a few dozen cases of the '03 that can be had.)
Now I've got to get busy with cooking for the Independence Day gathering we're invited to a bit later today.

Hope your day goes well Steve - and nice to hear from you! I've read a lot about your wines on this forum. We don't get many USA wines in NZ so when someone brings a gift, it's nice that they put the thought in to bring something that even in the USA is rare and special.